Cottage Pie

I’ve been calling this shepherd’s pie all week. And then I found out that because I made it with beef, it is actually cottage pie. Oops.

The pie was delicious and filling. The only problem? I forgot to add some flour and broth to bind the ingredients together and add a bit of moisture. Another oops.

I included in italics the way that I would make it next time, but fair warning: I haven’t actually tried this yet. And word to the wise: it is still amazing just the way it is without the flour and broth.

Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove cover and boil until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Using a masher or immersion blender, mash the potatoes with the cooking water and butter until creamy.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the carrots, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and beginning to brown. Stir in the oregano and rosemary and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Next time, I’d add in 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour here and stir well. Then I’d add 1 cup of broth and cook until it was partially reduced.

Remove the vegetables from the pan and spread in the baking dish. Add the beef to the skillet and cook until the inside is no longer pink.

Layer the beef on top of the vegetables. Top with mashed potatoes.

Bake for 30-40 minutes at 400F, until the potatoes start to brown on the top. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.